Quantum computing and eco-industrial parks: when the quantum cloud becomes a trusted asset

A McKinsey study in 2022 projected that quantum computing could cut up to 7 gigatons of CO2e per year by 2035, supporting the global warming goal of limiting temperature rise to 1.5°C. Alongside this, the Quantum-as-a-Service (QaaS) cloud market is expanding quickly, expected to reach $4.48 billion in 2025 with a CAGR of 49.1% per year.

In Vietnam’s ecological industrial parks (EIPs)—where manufacturing and processing has attracted more than USD 9.8 billion, or 56.5% of new foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows—quantum technologies for ESG measurement are moving from experimental testing toward mandatory use. The aim is to better optimize emission risk and maintain access to international green finance.

Quantum computing’s role in decarbonization

Conventional supercomputers are approaching technical limits in solving key decarbonization problems. A McKinsey report on COP26 commitments suggests that full implementation would limit temperature rise to about 1.7–1.8°C by 2050, falling short of the 1.5°C target. This gap is driving interest in computation beyond current systems.

Quantum computing’s advantage comes from parallel processing enabled by superposition and quantum entanglement. Instead of classical bits handling states 0 and 1 sequentially, a qubit can exist in both states simultaneously, allowing multi-threaded processing of millions of combinations.

This approach is particularly relevant for combinatorial optimization problems, where classical systems can struggle with time constraints. A World Economic Forum (WEF, 2024) report notes that simulating the nitrogenase enzyme—an organic catalyst enabling green ammonia production at room temperature—would take more than 800,000 years on a traditional computer.

Forecasted emissions impact

McKinsey forecasts that integrating quantum computing into climate technology could reduce 7 gigatons of CO2e per year by 2035, accumulating about 150 gigatons over the following 30 years. The projected impact spans sectors including agriculture, cement, electric vehicle batteries, solar energy, green hydrogen, and carbon capture.

Current limitations and the NISQ-to-FTQC timeline

The WEF also cautions that quantum computing remains in the intermediate, noisy quantum era (NISQ). Fully fault-tolerant quantum computers (FTQC) are expected to take another decade or more to mature, meaning infrastructure and human capital preparation are needed now.

NISQ (2018–present): quantum computers have scaled to tens to hundreds of qubits, which can outperform traditional supercomputers for some narrow tasks, but noise leads to high error rates. In this stage, quantum computing is mainly used to pilot small-scale optimization models.

FTQC (10–15 years ahead): these systems are expected to have millions of qubits and use quantum error correction to detect and fix errors caused by noise.

Where quantum use cases are emerging

In September 2024, a WEF–Accenture report grouped quantum computing applications into three categories: molecular and materials simulation, optimization of complex systems, and artificial intelligence. A Joule journal study similarly argues that quantum-accelerated algorithms can support optimization for zero-emission energy systems, including unit commitment, flexible grid-edge operation, and network expansion planning.

Carbon capture and storage (CCUS)

In carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), researchers at the US National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the University of Kentucky are using quantum algorithms to screen new amine solvents. The article notes that simulating complex atomic interactions typically costs more on classical systems.

Separately, a 2024–2026 pilot by CERN’s Open Quantum Institute (OQI)—funded by UBS—uses quantum methods to model CO2 adsorption on metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) to optimize direct air capture performance.

Green hydrogen supply chains

For green hydrogen, the University of Toronto and Fujitsu have deployed quantum-simulated techniques to analyze hundreds of millions of material designs. The team identified a catalyst family with eightfold higher activity than current benchmarks.

A 2025 white paper by qBraid and SC Quantum estimates that quantum modeling of electrochemical dynamics could cut hydrogen production costs by up to 60%. It also suggests potential support for lower-energy ammonia synthesis and potentially contributing 0.4 gigatons of CO2e reductions by 2035.

Smart grids and microgrids

A WEF early-2025 report describes three quantum-driven optimization pillars for smart grids: improving renewable-energy forecasting accuracy using large-scale meteorological data, real-time grid operation, and optimization of storage and demand-response programs.

Field trials by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in the United States and TNO in the Netherlands indicate that hybrid quantum–classical systems can shorten response times and boost computation speed in microgrid environments.

QaaS market growth and why it matters for firms

Cloud-based QaaS rental models are becoming mainstream. Credence Research data cited in the article show the global QaaS market reached $1.8 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 33.88%, reaching $18.6 billion by 2032.

The Quantum Insider’s 2024 annual report also describes QaaS as a leading growth segment, estimating a CAGR around 62% and about 2,800 enterprises projected by 2030.

The model provides remote access to IBM Quantum, Amazon Braket, or Google Cloud on a pay-as-you-go basis. For corporate finance, the article notes that shifting from hardware CAPEX to an operating OPEX model can help organizations in developing markets such as Vietnam optimize cash flow, reduce capital lock-up, and still run proof-of-concept (PoC) projects in the current stage.

Applying quantum computing in Vietnam’s ecological industrial parks

Managing emissions in ecological industrial parks is described as a combinatorial optimization challenge. UNIDO’s Global Eco-Industrial Parks Program (GEIPP) data show that applying optimization models from 2018–2023 across seven countries (including Vietnam) saved about 57 million kWh of electricity, 2 million cubic meters of water, and nearly 18,000 tons of materials.

Vietnam pilot results

In Vietnam, a pilot phase (2015–2019) at Khanh Phu, Gian Khau (Ninh Binh), Hoa Khanh (Da Nang), and Tra Nuoc (Can Tho) supported 72 enterprises to cut more than 22,000 MWh of electricity use and 32,000 tons of CO2 annually.

However, the article says these results largely rely on traditional calculation methods. Upgrading to an industrial-symbiosis framework—cascading heat, wastewater, and waste between plants—requires handling millions of variables, including heat flows, chemical compositions, production schedules, price fluctuations, and environmental constraints.

International benchmarks and Vietnam’s policy direction

A World Bank report published in May 2025 reports that Korea’s eco-industrial-park program reduced energy consumption by 6% per year. It also quantifies benefits including about 2.1 million tons CO2e per year savings, 36.8 million tons of water saved, and more than $660 million in economic benefits.

For Vietnam, early-2026 data cited in the article indicate 478 industrial parks have been established (324 active), but the share that has shifted to an eco-symbiosis model remains modest. The government aims to raise the share of local parks with a green conversion plan to 40–50% by 2030.

Against this backdrop, the article argues that QaaS could give managers of Vietnam’s ecological parks a scalable way to rent quantum computing capacity on demand, enabling cross-plant energy and material flow optimization at optimized costs.

Vietnam Briefing (February 2026) is cited as noting that environmental performance of eco-parks has become a key investment criterion as multinational corporations comply with ESG standards and the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).

The article also references World Bank data that more than 4,000 global companies have set science-based targets. It adds that 70% of foreign investors in the Central American region consider eco-industrial parks a driver of improved investment climate, suggesting that quantum-enabled support for Eco-IP standards could help Vietnamese parks raise asset values and attract green FDI.